The present invention relates to an air grate for a raised floor system such as for a computer room, the air grate being configured for adjustable dampened air flow.
Raised floor systems allow flexible installation and distribution of cabling and wires, and also allow air conditioning to be funneled under the floor and into the room through apertured panels (also called “air grates”) at selected strategic locations in the room. However, improvements are desired in these floor systems to allow adjustable control of air flow through the raised floor systems without substantial increase in manufacturing cost. Further, improvement is desired so that a particular apertured panel can be used to mate with a wide variety of existing raised floor panel systems. Still further, improvement is desired to provide an air grate with flush handle, where the apertured panel and handle are sufficiently sturdy to support substantial weight, yet where the handle is not a trip hazard and is sturdy enough to allow the panel to be lifted and removed without special tooling. It is also desirable to provide a handle that blends into the design of the air grate, and that does not result in an unsightly “blemish” in an otherwise visually attractive floor.
Air grates have considerable material cut away in order to allow significant air flow, yet air grates must maintain adequate weight-bearing strength to meet customer requirements. This problem is not easily solved, because air grates must rest on the same floor support as the raised floor panels. In other words, the problem usually cannot be resolved simply by making the reinforcement ribs of an air grate deeper, because the deeper reinforcement ribs would interferingly engage the floor support, resulting in an uneven floor surface. Further, the problem is not resolved simply by adding a large number of reinforcement ribs, since every rib adds expense, weight, and can adversely affect air flow. Additional of a handle further aggravates the problem, because the air grate must include an open space for receiving the handle, which further reduces the weight-bearing strength of the air grate.
Thus, an apparatus and method having the aforementioned advantages and solving the aforementioned problems are desired.